Now that my IRL career is (finally) underway, my time for SC:R will be at least cut in half. I've recently decided to attempt a "retirement map" as a demonstration of my peak mapping skills and as a tribute to my 2 favorite games. One is obvious (SC:R), the other will be the basis of the map. I won't be able to give an ETA for a long time, but I feel obligated to get this at least 75% completed before I put down mapping forever.

Story:A devastating plague known as the "Green Poison" has swept across the nation. Entire cities are crumbling due to the massive death count and an extreme rise in crime. It is now up to the Joint-Task-Force and Division sleeper agents to keep humanity under control.As a Division Agent, protect civilian lives by defeating the rioters, criminals, and mysterious enemy factions that lurk around every street of Manhattan. Level up, acquire better gear, and unlock new skills as you undercover the truth behind the Green Poison.

Preserved Mechanics from Original Game:

Save-System - an obvious "must-have" when it comes to big RPGs. You can save your character data when inside one of many Safe Houses. Character data consists of an 8-digit code, which is presented to you upon saving.

Multiple Characters - Because of this system, it is possible to possess multiple characters. You can switch between these characters at any time. This is done by "logging out" in a Safe House, taking you to the login menu (map always starts here).

Weapons/Armor Posses Attributes - In addition to attributes gained by skills or talent choice, certain weapons and armor pieces may also have attributes attached to them. This is where a good portion of grinding comes from. Getting the "best" gear requires finding high-level versions that also contain good attributes for your current class.

Inventory/Money - Semi-random loot can be found by defeating enemies. Your backpack will hold up to 8 items. It's a good habit to clear it out every time you enter a Safe House by selling useless items.

Randomized Shops - Each Safe House contains a shop that will either sell weapons or armor pieces. The items on sale are randomized at map start, and on 30-minute intervals.

Grouping - A player can start a group by being near other players and using the "Start Group" button. Players in range will have the option of accepting or declining the offer. Grouped players will receive shared experience points. A player leaves the group by going a large distance away from the leader, or by using the "Leave Group" button.

Missions - Throughout the map are Mission Spots that communicate the game's story. They can only be accessed by going to the entry point and choosing a difficulty. Only 1 instance of a mission can be active (only 1 group/solo player can run it at a time).

The "Dark Zone" - The most dangerous part of Manhattan. It is filled with high-level enemies and rare loot. PvP is allowed here at higher levels. Player vision is shared ONLY within a group. (Players outside Dark Zone will not have vision of players inside it, and vice versa. Thus, a non-grouped player in Dark Zone does not give or receive any shared vision)

Soundtrack - Music from original game will be played for various events (login, missions, Dark Zone, etc).

New/Improvised Mechanics:

Simplified Gear - The original 6 pieces of armor are now presented as a "single piece" of armor. Thus, your equipped items will consist of 2 weapons and an armor piece.To simplify the save-system programming, inventory is not stored, nor the character's cash. Loading a character will give it a set amount of cash, as well as reset talent choices.

Classes and Talents - There are no "classes" in the original game. Players had access to all skills and gained attributes through equipped gear.To compensate for the simplified gear, I am implementing classes and talent choices. As of 9/16/18, there will be 7 classes, each yielding 9 possible talent choices. Every 4 levels, characters gain a "talent point". Though every talent only costs 1 point, the more powerful talents have a level requirement. Thus, you can only choose weaker talents in early/mid game, but gain access to the best talents in late game.The level cap is 20, meaning characters can acquire up to 5 talent points. This promotes the necessity of carefully choosing talents to optimize your "build". You can reset these points at a Safe House shop, or by restarting the map.

Unique Skill, Passive, and Weapon Proficiencies - Every class will start with a unique skill, passive effect, and weapon proficiency.The 4 major types of weapons are Marksman Rifles, Assault Rifles, Machine Guns, and SMGs. Depending on the class, your character will perform better with certain types of weapons (dealing more damage with it, compared to other classes).These properties can be improved through talent choices.

All of these notes, as well as specific details for skills/passive/talents/weapons are currently being documented in Word. That file may be released in the future.Tell me what you think about all of this. Would this be an appropriate and retirement-worthy map?

I think it is and has been most map makers goal (myself included) to make a map like this before retirement. I still haven't given up the dream. It's a big project, though, and will take a fair amount of determination to get through. Good luck.